LECTURE 6: INTRODUCTION TO FORMAL METHODS

Software Engineering Mike Wooldridge

Lecture 6

Software Engineering

1 What are Formal Methods?

Formal methods is that area of computer science that is concerned with the application of mathematical techniques to the design and implementation of computer hardware and (more usually) software. That part of computer science concerned with the application of mathematical methods to the production of computer software. (Jones, 1986) Why bother with formal methods? 1. The correctnesss problem: producing software that is correct is famously difcult; by using rigorous mathematical techniques, it may be possible to make provably correct software. 2. Programs are mathematical objects; they are expressed in a formal language;
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they have a formal semantics; programs can be treated as mathematical theories.

Mike Wooldridge

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Software Engineering

Diller (1988) suggests there are two main parts to formal methods: 1. Formal specication. Using mathematics to specify the desired properties of a computer system. 2. Formal verication. Using mathematics to prove that a computer system satises its specication. To which many would add: 3. Automated programming. Automating the process of program generation.

Mike Wooldridge

Lecture 6

Software Engineering

Mike Wooldridge

ADVANTAGES

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Formal methods can eliminate ambiguity. A key problem with informal specications is the inherent ambiguity of textual descriptions; using mathematics can eliminate such ambiguity. Mathematics is concise. Complex properties can be expressed succinctly. Mathematics offers power. There is little that cannot in some way be described and reasoned about using maths.

Mike Wooldridge

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Software Engineering

Maths facilitates proof. The ability to prove properties of a system is potentially very valuable. Formal specications, etc., can be manipulated by computer. CASE tools; automated specication checkers (e.g., CADIZ); automated programming. Formal methods lead to a deep understanding of systems. The precision and detail required brings a deep understanding of whats going on.

Mike Wooldridge

Lecture 6

Software Engineering

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OBJECTIONS/MISCONCEPTIONS

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Formal methods eliminate the need for testing. People can get get sums wrong! Formal methods eliminate the need for natural language. Ultimately, maths is just symbols: English is needed to relate these symbols to reality. You need a PhD to use formal methods. All maths looks hard until you get used to it. . .

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APPROACHES TO FORMAL SPECIFICATION

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There are two schools of thought on formal specication: 1. Property based; 2. Model based.

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Property Based Specication

In property based specication, you describe the operations you can perform on a system, and the relationships between operations. A property oriented specication consists of: a signature part which denes the syntax of operations (what parameters they take and return); an equations part, which dene the semantics of the operations via a set of equations called axioms.

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EXAMPLES OF PROPERTY ORIENTED SPECIFICATION TECHNIQUES. algebraic specication of abstract data types (Hoare, 1969). the OBJ language (Futatsugi et al., 1985).

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Model Based Specication

In model based specication, you use the tools of set theory, function theory and logic to build an abstact model of a system. You can then specify the operations that may be performed on your model, either explicitly, or implicitly (in terms of preand post-conditions). The model we construct is: high-level; idealized; free of implementation bias (hopefully!)

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A model based specication consists of: a denition of the set of states a system may be in; denitions for the legal operations that may be performed on your system, indicating how these change current state. EXAMPLES. the Z specication language (Abrial, 1980; Hayes 1987; Spivey 1988); the VDM (Vienna Development Method) specication language (Jones 1980, 1986).

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THE Z SPECIFICATION LANGUAGE

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The Z specication language is a semi-graphical notation for writing formal specications. It was developed at Oxford University programming research group in the late 1970s. It has been adopted by IBM as their main formal specication tool (so its not just an academic toy!) It was used to specify the IBM Customer Information Control System (CICS) a major piece of software.

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SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR Z

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There are at least three software tools for developing Z specications: FUZZ. Developed at Oxford by Spivey et al, in late 1980s. CADIZ. Developed at York University, also in late 1980s (its what we have here); ZED. Developed at Pennsylvania state University

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Briey, CADIZ will: take a Z specication in plain-text (ASCII) form; perform some simple semantic checks on it; typeset (pretty print) it, so that the schemas can be printed out; allow simple interactive browsing of specications.

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